Fluid-pressure generator



March 25, 1930. E. H. AIKEN 1,752,052

' FLUID PRESSURE GENERATOR Filed July 27, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nueutoz Edwin H flzkeiz attozn e1 MaYCh 1930- E. H. AIKEN I 1,752,052

FLUID PRESSURE GENERATOR Filed Ju1y'27, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 arm cantor,

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Patented Mar. 25, 1930 PATENT OFFICE EDWIN H. AIKEN, F SUPERIOR, ARIZONA FLUID-PRESSURE GENERATOR Application filed July 27,

The present invention is directed to improvements in boilers. The device comprises a structure in which the fuel and air are compressed mixed and ignited much in the same way that the Diesel engine operates, while it resembles a steam boiler in that V the process of heating water to produce steam is through the use of a combustion chamber and fire tubes.

In operation this improvement is used as any steam boiler. It may furnish'steam for power production, for heating purposes or for anyother purpose for which steam is used. 7

It is well known that an internal combustion engine uses only a very small part of the energy contained in the fuel. Some of the big losses are, through incomplete combustion, due to improper mixture or insuiiicient 20. time for combustion; through cooling water, i

this usually running extremely high; and, through heat lost in superheated exhaust gas.

With this new improvement a greater part of these losses are eliminated. Complete combustion is assured through proper and unvarying setting of fuel to air andthrough ample time and the intense heat under which combustion takes place. The heat which is lost through cooling water, in a engine, is utilized in producing steam and instead of the radiator and the cooling jacket a covering of asbestos or other heat insulating materials (not shown) is used to keep the heat I within. The temperature of the exhaust gas is kept down through an effective and efficient regulation of the superheat of the steam.

This improvement has the characteristics ofrapidity of pick-up and at the same time it has the characteristics of holding reserve power. In other words, should it be used in conjunction with a turbine or piston engine, for automobile drive, it will have a quick pick-up and will also be able to hold on as does a steam boiler.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an ap- 1927. Serial No. 208,791.

paratus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail view partly in elevation and partly in section of the fuel supply mechanism and valve gear hereinafter described.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view at right angles to Fig. 1, and

Fig. i is a detail sectionalv view of the water, pump, hereinafter described.

In the drawings, 1 designates a main crankshaft which carries a coupling 2, by which said crankshaft may be connected to any other rotative shaft and driven by an external source of power. The crankshaft 1 is connected by a connecting rod 1 with a'piston 3 that slides in a cylinder 4. Connecting rod 5 is given reciprocatory movement by an eccentric 6 on shaft 1. The upper end of this connecting rod is engaged with a rocker arm 7 of a Corliss valve gear. This rocker arm carries a trip latch 7 which engages the nose of a cam disc 7. This cam disc is fast with oscillatory tubular valve 7. A dash pot 7 acts to effect a quick return of the valve when the latch is tripped. This dash pot is similar to those commonly employed in conjunction with valve gearing of the Corliss type, and is, ineifect, a suction element consisting of a piston working in a cylinder. lVhen the tubular valve 7 is rotated to open position by the action of latch 7 against the nose of cam disc 7 the piston of the dash pot is drawn outwardly, and when the latch is released, as hereinafterdescribed, the dash pot acts to jerk the rotary valve 7 quickly to closed position. Valve 7 is provided with a port 8, and when the valve is turned to open position said port aligns with a port 8 which communicates with the interior of the cylinder 4. An upwardly opening poppet valve 9 controls communication between the upper end of the cylinder anda passage 10 which passageinturn leads to the interior of a combustion chamber 11. For the purpose of supplying liquid fuel to the combustion chamber, along with the air, a fuel pump is provided which consists of a piston 12, that is operated. by a connecting rod 12, and spring 12 The connecting rod 12 is connected to the connecting rod 5.-

A fuel supply pipe 13 may lead to any suitable supply tank (not shown). A valve 13 (see Fig. 2) is moved to open position against the tension of its actuating spring 13 by the cam disc 7 WVhen a notch 14 (in said cam disc) aligns with a roller 14 on the upper end of thestem of said valve, the valve may move to closed. position under the action of its spring 18 A rock arm 15 is pivoted at 15 and the upper end of the connecting rod 12 is engaged with said rock arm and thrusts against the lower end of the piston 12. l/Vhen the piston 12 moves downwardly it draws a charge of fuel through pipe 13 as will be hereinafter set forth, and when said piston rises the fuel is discharged past valve 16 and through outlet 17 to and into the passage 10. The cylinder and combustion chambers are housed in'a boiler, the'upper end of which constitutes a dome 18, in which the upper ends of fire tubes 19terminate, said fire tubes projecting upwardly from the combustion chamber 11. Dome 18 is connected by a suitable pipe 20 with a cylinder 19 and the pres-- sure existing in thedome acts upon the under side of apiston 20 insa'id. cylinder. This piston is connected by a rod 20 with the trip 21, the position of which determines the time at which the trip latch 7 will be operated. Upward movementof the piston 20 under the pressure existing in'the dome is'resisted by a spring 20.

1 The operation ofthe apparatus is as folows:

Crankshaft 1 is rotated through coupler 2:

by some outside force and drives piston 3 up and downthrough cylinder 4. As piston is drawn downward arm 5, connected to'crank shaft through eccentric 6 opens Corliss valve 7 and allows air to be drawn into cylindert through passage 8. Sometime during or at the end of this intake stroke thepressure governor (Fig. 2) trips Corliss valve causing it to close instantly. As the piston rises, the

air in cylinder 4 is compressed and forced out through poppet valve 9 from where it goes on up through passage 10 into combustion chamber 11. Passage 10 may be connected to auxiliary air starting equipment, otherwise this passage is normally closed by a com-' mon plug at its left hand end. (Fig. 3).

Simultaneously with. this the fuel piston 12, (Fig. 2) draws a charge of fuel through valve 18. This valve is held open by disc 7 on Corliss valve and closes when valve 7 rotates back to closed position. Thus the fuel intake is closed and piston 12 ceases to move downward. As rocker arm 15 returns upward it forces piston, 12 upward again and fuel is forced out through valve 16 from where it passes on through tube 17 and mixes with air from passage 10, the two entering the combustion chamber 11 at the same time.

When starting, the fuel is cut off until the air in chamber 11 and dome 18 has raised enter the cylinders.

to the required pressure for combustion, say 800 lbs. for example. At this pressure the air in cylinder 4 will be around 1000 Fahrenheit,

a temperature suflicient to ignite the, fuel.

air onup through fire tubes 19 into dome 18.

This process continues until the desired pressure is reached. a

The governor, Fig. 2, will be seen to operate as follows:

,Piston 20 with boiler pressure on one side and the coil spring 20 on the other, op-

\ erat'es trip cam 21. At zero pressure this cam will be seen to be at its extreme left hand limit, thus tripping Corliss valve 7 aspiston 3 is at the lower end of the cylinder 4:. Thus a full charge of air and fuelis permitted to As the pressure rises piston 20 is forced against the spring and rotates cam 21 to the right causing the valve 7 to be tripped and closed before a complete intake is effected. From this it-will be seen that as gas is drawn from dome 18 the governor will regulate the fuel insuch a way as to just supply the demand and keep the pressure up to a set value. The range of varia tion of pressure or otherwise, termed the regulation,is determined by the compression of the spring 20 and the leverage on cam 21.

Referring again to Fig. 1, the'cylinder 4,;

and 23. This shell is the main boiler and is i so built that it will withstand whatever pressure is selected. The space 24, between cylinder 4 and boiler shell 22 and the space 25 between chamber lland shell 23 upto the level indicated is filled with water, said level being maintained by a water pump mounted on one sideof the boiler and operated by crankshaft 1 through connecting rod 26.

The combustion chamber 11 and fire tubes 19 are made of material which will readily transfer heat and they play much the same part as do the fire-box and fire tubes in an ordinary steam boiler. The water around ,cylinder 4 plays the part of the water around the cylinder of an air compressor or a gas engine. Allof the heat absorbed by the water in both sections 24 and25, is used in producing steam which rises and mixes'with the 7 gas in dome 18. The proportion of gas to steam, and thus the degree of superheat, is regulated by varying the heating area ex posed to the water. This is done by raising or lowering the water level. It will be seen, Fig. 1, that raising water level will increase the fire tube area exposedto the water. This will cool the gas which passes through the tubes and at the same time'will increase the steam production. Thus the temperature of the combined gas and steam will be lowered. Dropping the water level will give the reverse action.

The operation of the water pump is as follows:

Rod 27 is driven up and down by connecting rod 28 and operates through a closey litting cylinder 29. Around this is cut a narrow groove 30 and the length of stroke is such that this groove moves from opening 31 in lower part of tank 32 to a position opposite upper valve 33 When this groove is at the lower end of stroke it is filled by water from tank; when raised to valve 38 the water runs out into boiler and is replaced by gas and steam. A charge of water has then been added to the boiler. This continues until Water in boiler reaches valve 33. Now as groove passes valve 33, going up, it trades its water for an equal volume of gas and steam but upon passing down again, water runs back through valve 33 and refills the groove. Thus it has returned without having added any water to the boiler. This level is regulated by closing valves 33 3*, 33 and 33 in order, up to the level desired.

Having described my invention, what 1 claim is:

1. An internal combustion boiler consis ing of a compression cylinder, a combustion chamber, a water container within which the combustion chamber and the compression cylinder are enclosed, means for supplying air to the compression cylinder, means for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber, and means for maintaining a supply of water in the container, valves for controlling said fuel and air supply, and means under control of the pressure in the container for determining the time of closing of said valves.

2. An internal combustion boiler consisting of a compression cylinder, a combustion chamber, a water container within which the combustion chamber and the compression cylinder are enclosed, means for supplying air to the compression cylinder, means for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber, and means for maintaining a determinate level of water within the container, valves for controlling said fuel and air supply, and means under control of the pressure in the container for determining the time of closing of said valves.

3. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a container for water constituting a steam boiler, a combustion chamber therein, fire tubes leading upwardly through the water in said container, from the combustion chamber, a compression cylinder located in the water in said container, a piston operating therein, a crankshaft, a connecting rod actuated by said crankshaft for operating said piston, a valve gear and valve for controlling the admission of air to said cylinder, and a governor under control of the pressure in the boiler acting upon the valve gear to determine the time at which the valve will close.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a Water container constituting a steam boiler, a compression cylinder located in the water in said container, a piston operating therein, a combustion dome located in the water in the container, a plurality of fire tubes upstanding from said dome, having freely open upper ends, an element constituting a head for the compression cylinder and a base for the combustion dome, an oscillator 1 valve mounted in said element and serving to control the passage of air from the atmosphere to the compression cylinder, 2. cheer valve mounted in said member and opening from the compression cylinder toward the combustion dome, a fuel feeding mean discharging fuel into the path of the air flowing from the compression cylinder to the combustion dome, and means under control of the pressure in the container for controlling the movement of the oscillatory valve and fuel supply means.

A structure of the character described, comprising a water container constituting a steam boiler, an air compression cylinder located and exposed to the water therein, a combustion. dome located therein, a plurality of fire tubes upstanding from the combustion dome, an oscillatory air valve for controlling the amount of air supplied to the compres sion cylinder, a continuously operated fuel supply pump, a notched disc carried by the oscillatory valve, a rocker arm and means for rocking the same, a trip latch carried by the rocker arm, and moving the notched disc in one direction when engaged therewith, means tending to move the notched disc in the other direction, a fuel supply line leading to the fuel supply pump, and a spring closed valve for controlling the passage of fuel through said line, said valve having an element adapted to enter the notch of the notched disc to permit the valve to close, a trip for actuating the trip latch, and a member under control of the pressure in the container for determining the position of said trip latch.

In testimony whereof he affixes his signature.

EDWIN H. AIKEN. 

